A Wilcox County Sheriff's Deputy was arraigned and pleaded not guilty Tuesday after
being indicted for attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine powder,
and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The announcement of Greg Barge's arraignment came from the office of United States Attorney George L. Beck, Jr. Barge, 45, is a resident of Camden, Alabama. It was not immediately known what employment, if any, Barge retains through the County.

According to court records, on April
10, 2013, May 7, 2013 and June 26, 2013, Barge transported packages that
contained what he believed to be multi-kilograms of cocaine powder from
Montgomery, Alabama to Camden, Alabama.

The
package actually contained a substance that appeared to be cocaine, but was not
cocaine. On each of those dates, Barge
obtained the supposed kilograms of cocaine in Montgomery and transported them
to Camden using his law enforcement vehicle, dressed in his sheriff's deputy
uniform and carrying his police issued firearm.

Barge was paid $800 on April 10, 2013, and $1200
on May 7, 2013. On June 26, 2013, Barge
was arrested in Camden after transporting the kilograms of fake cocaine from
Montgomery to Camden.

After Barge's arrest, the court held
a hearing to determine if Barge should be allowed a bond or should be detained
pending his trial. After the detention
hearing, the court found that Barge was a flight risk and a danger to the
community, and remanded him to the custody of the United States Marshal's
Service pending his trial.

An indictment merely alleges that
crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven
guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Barge faces a sentence of
10 years in prison. He is also subject to fines and a period of
supervised release if convicted.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with
assistance from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and the Alabama Department
of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Clark Morris is
prosecuting the case.